Category: Odds ‘n Sods

Yesterday I mentioned needing Anderson Power Pole adapters for cigarette lighter plugs and jacks. Several readers promptly wrote to tell me about two companies that already make them: Quicksilver Radio and Powerwerx. (The latter has a huge variety of DC power products.)    o o o Here is a small company in Huntersville, North Carolina that was started by a retired Navy man who is now a Christian missionary, to help with his retirement: ThriftyPrepperMall.com    o o o While doing some research for my now nearly complete “Rawles on Tools” book (for Penguin Books, scheduled for release in May …

For folks with a large stream on their property, a Pelton Wheel system like this is fantastic: Algonquin Eco-Lodge – 12 kW Micro-Hydro Turbines    o o o Why we face grave danger from space: The discovery that a colossal solar flare hit Earth in the Dark Ages reminds us that catastrophe could strike at any time, says Michael Hanlon.    o o o .50 BMG shooters might find this reference page on specialty military rounds of interest.    o o o Mike Brown is planning to build a new generation of reliable 8 horsepower steam engines that will be …

G.G. sent this: Ten Years Later, How Have We Avoided Another Mega Blackout? And this: Failure is Not-an Option Unless We’re Talking About American Energy Infrastructure    o o o Ban on carrying loaded guns absent a concealed-carry permit is upheld by Oregon supremes. Reading the decision, it appears that it was the court rather than the defendant that was acting “recklessly.”    o o o Bellingham to pay $15,000 to man who wore gun in park    o o o A Mikey Bloomberg nightmare: Virginia gun crime drops again as firearm sales soar.    o o o British-produced food …

I was pleased to see that Mark Levin’s new book The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic hit #1 overall on Amazon.com.    o o o Ohio Shawn spotted a piece about a single-wheel human cargo trailer, over at Instructables.    o o o Bob G. sent this study in contrasts: AK-74: Fast Assembly & Disassembly In Russian School. (Most American school teachers would throw a fit before they would allow this in their classrooms.)    o o o Just for fun: Swiss “Jetman” flies along B-17 aircraft    o o o New Company Allows Organizations to Hire Fake Protesters

The Nation’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods.    o o o Reader T.K. wrote to mention some good news: “The price of the PTR-91 [a HK91 clone rifle] has returned to normal. I bought mine a couple of months after the Newtown Shootings and paid well over $1,400. One Source Tactical is now selling the rifle with five new mags for $975. It was a good rifle at $1,400 but a great one at $975.”  [JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that all of their recent production rifles have barrels with the “GI” spec chambers, which makes them tolerant to most types …

Brazil uprising points to rise of leaderless networks. (The 21st Century Paradigm: Unemployment + social media networking = riots.)    o o o A reader in Switzerland wrote to mention that an anti-gun “Ministry of Truth” cabal at Wikipedia is attemping to systematically expunge any references to mayors who have resigned and the mayors who have criminal convictions from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns wiki page. These guys make Stalin and his successors look like amateurs. If you are an experienced Wikipedian, feel free to chime in.    o o o Ingrown Toenails in Tough Times    o o o …

Reader J.H. sent an fascinating video that illustrates why so-called dry washes can be so dangerous: Amazing Flash Flood / Debris Flow Southern Utah. J.H.’s comments: “The amazing thing is that the heaviest rain fell 40 miles away from the film site and the peak rain came six hours before the wave passed through. Local weather conditions give no clue as to what is about to happen. Swimming in the trash laden water is an absolute non-starter. Pity the camper who has one of these walls of wet wood squash him while he is wrapped in a sleeping bag, zipped …

F.G. sent: Marines and Army deploy new helmet designed to stop Rifle Rounds    o o o H.L. recommended this article and video: Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening    o o o Bob P. wrote to reiterate one of SurvivalBlog’s long-standing recommendations: “Zippo Lighters are American-made. They are manufactured by the Zippo Manufacturing Co. in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Even though I don’t smoke I always kept a Zippo lighter handy since I was in the Army in the 1960s.  I keep one in my BOB and one in my ready pack in my pickup.  Zippos will burn just …

The political realm is not that different from my horse corral or my hen house. Periodically, the Schumer gets so deep that you can’t just continue shoveling a bit off off the top or around the edges. Merely covering it up with straw is no longer sufficient. The smell becomes too much to bear. What you really need to do is to roll up your sleeves and start shoveling, and do not stop until you’ve scraped right down to bare soil or bare wood. Une zone totalement dépeuplée. To do it right, you leave no media for the germs to …

Another Secure Email Service, Silent Circle, Is Shutting Down    o o o Reader J. McC. sent: Scientists Disclose Plans To Make Superflu In Labs    o o o I missed this article when it ran back in June: 1 in 12 on Bloomberg’s gun victims list are crime suspects killed by police or armed citizens acting in self-defense. Oh, and and speaking of Mayor Mikey, another one of Bloomberg’s gun-grabbing mayors is under suspicion: Stockton Mayor is under Peeping Tom investigation as city goes through bankruptcy. And, meanwhile, we read more about the sexcapades of San Diego’s mayor, “Filthy …

Some pointed commentary from Claire Wolfe: America’s UberGovernment. And the rest of us.    o o o Here is something new: The Ron Paul Channel    o o o The Pseudo-Republican: Chris Christie Signs 10 Gun Bills Into Law. The article states: “One of the new laws will disqualify any person on the federal terrorist watch list from obtaining firearms identification cards or permits to purchase handguns.” Later, the article notes: “Civil liberties advocates have criticized the watch list for its secrecy. The list is not public, nor can one petition to have his name removed from it. There were …

“How could anyone possibly need more than a 10 round magazine?” Well, for instance: Alaska man kills charging bear with assault rifle    o o o Scarcity inspires creative “reinvention” and “technological disobedience”: Cuba’s DIY Inventions from 30 Years of Isolation. (Thanks to M.R. in Kansas for the link.)    o o o Sun Will Flip Its Magnetic Field Soon. (We are at solar maximum, but it is a relatively weak maximum, for this 11-year cycle But the big Carrington-size flares can happen, regardless.)    o o o H7N9 bird flu in likely China spread between people, researchers find. (Of …

Yet another data point, for selecting a retreat locale: How Many Illegal Immigrants Live in Your State?    o o o Reader Craig J. sent this: Popular gun range target blamed for forest fires, called potential bomb source. The “forest fires” claim is a red herring. Chainsaws and off-road motorcycles start dozens of fires on USFS and BLM land each year, yet nobody has suggested banning them. Our congresscritters tend toward free floating anxiety followed by spastic fits of legislation. So all that I can say is: stock up on Tannerite! (If there is an explosive target ban, then there …

Todd M. suggested reading this troubling MIT Technology Review article on SCADA systems vulnerability: Hacking Industrial Systems Turns Out to Be Easy: New research from Black Hat shows it’s possible to trick water and energy infrastructure to cause physical damage—and securing these systems remains painfully slow. Meanwhile, G.G. suggested that we read: Chinese Hacking Team Caught Taking Over Decoy Water Plant. Oh, and coincidentally, my friend Bob G. just called and recommended this novel, based on a credible terrorist scenario: Gridlock.    o o o Some folks have put together a combined Calendar of Prepper, Survivalist and Self-Reliance Shows. I …

F.J.R. sent this from MacLife: Eight Apps for Wilderness Survival. The piece begins: “It might seem counterintuitive to rely on a device so associated with the comforts of civilization for survival in the wilds, but a well-prepared iPhone could mean the difference between life and death when stranded in the great outdoors…”    o o o Let’s hear it for home schools: They are educating kids better than public schools. (Thanks to Bob G. for the link.)    o o o Mike Williamson’s latest book Tour of Duty: Stories and Provocations will be released tomorrow.    o o o A …